There have been no limits to the amount of films that look to parody or otherwise attack (either seriously or jocularly) Kim Jong-Il. A number of these titles paint the despot as a pitiable creature, and The Juche Idea adds a bit more to this style of film. For those that are not familiar, The Juche Idea is a blend of different religions and philosophies. This belief system was originally created by Kim Jong-Il’s father, and is still something that is prevalent in North Korean culture. The Juche Idea focuses on the works of a South Korean documentarian / artist that visits a North Korean artist commune. Inspired by what goes on in this camp, the director is able to create a number of shorts that send up North Korean politics in the context of The Juche Idea.
Rather than letting the overall joke be run into the ground, The Juche Idea’s shorter runtime ensures that the overall feature is much more crisp than other parody-based film. This means that The Juche Idea is much more Borat than Underground Comedy Movie. Lorber has added a number of featurettes to The Juche Idea that further increase its value – the director’s commentary that is present provides considerable context for jokes that may normally fall flat. The different short films that are provided for viewers here allow for a slightly different opinion to be created of the director’s chops. Finally, there are a few deleted scenes that will further flesh out the main feature.
Check this out today, if you have liked what South Park has done in regards to Kim Jong-Il in the past or are a fan of the mockumentary style generally.
Rating: 7.5/10
The Juche Idea (DVD) / 2011 Kino Lorber / 62 Minutes / http://www.lorberfilms.com
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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